


Just by the Side of Amsterdam

by bonotje



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Amsterdam, Christmas, Gen, M/M, Robron Secret Santa 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-22 01:08:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13155951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonotje/pseuds/bonotje
Summary: Aaron, Robert and Liv visit Amsterdam the weekend before Christmas.





	Just by the Side of Amsterdam

**Author's Note:**

> This is my Secret Santa gift for [justleavemebreathless](http://justleavemebreathless.tumblr.com/) Once again, Merry Christmas Jacqueline :D!

Christmas 2018

They get the hotel voucher as a wedding present, a weekend away to Amsterdam. Though with their honeymoon and then life just getting hectic again they don’t end up cashing it in until December. It’s the weekend before Christmas and they’ve finally found the time for a weekend away.

The flight from Leeds to Amsterdam is just over an hour long, but somehow Robert had conked at the minute they sat down on the plane, leaving Aaron to entertain himself during the flight. So here he is, staring out of the little plane window at fluffy clouds while his husband is drooling on his shoulder.

Liv is engrossed in some game on her phone as she’s still sulking her loss of the rock, paper, scissors game he had had with her over the window seat. He hadn’t wanted the seat all that much, but he liked riling his little sister up. When he’d offered her the seat anyway she’d just huffed and plopped down in the aisle seat. Robert had shook his head at their antics, happy to sit wherever so long as it was next to Aaron. Turns out he just wanted to use Aaron as a pillow anyway.

Before he knows it the plane already starts making its descent and slowly the clouds are replaced by vast green fields. They’re not here for the tulip season, he knows because Robert had bemoaned the fact endlessly, going on about wanting to see the colourful fields. Aaron had reminded him of the fact that the gift voucher was only good till the end of the year. In the end he had finally managed to shut him up by promising a return visit to Amsterdam in a few months, that and a blowjob that had left Robert gripping the back of the sofa tightly to keep upright.

As the pilot starts telling them they’re about to land and Robert is still out to the world he softly shakes his husband’s shoulder. He knows from experience that getting woken up by a plane touching the ground is no fun. The sleepy look Robert sends him as he blinks his eyes open is so cute it makes him lean in for a kiss.

\---

They somehow manage to steer Liv away from the overpriced food at the airport and get a taxi to their hotel. It’s a simple room, two king-sized beds next to each other. Liv had pointedly packed her noise cancelling headphones when she found out she would be in the same room as them. Aaron had just given her a disgusted look back, as if they were gonna do something with her right there, he’d scar himself just as much.

It doesn’t take long before Robert whips out his notebook full of things they apparently need to do in the 72 hours they’re here. There were apparently a bunch of Christmas markets all over the city and of course a bunch of cliché touristy things to do. Liv just wants to go ice skating and eat all the food she can find. He doesn’t really mind what they do so long as he has his mum and Paddy’s Christmas presents sorted by the end of the trip. Robert and Liv’s presents are already bought and wrapped, ready to be put under their giant tree back at the Mill.

Neither him or Liv like going to museums, but Robert tells them they at least have to go and see the Rijksmuseum whilst they’re here, so that’s their first stop. Not before they get some food into their bellies though and the smell of something sweet soon leads their way to a poffertjes stand. The tiny, fluffy pancakes doused in powdered sugar and a square of butter on the side are a delicious treat to still their hunger. It’s probably not the healthiest of lunches, but then they’re on vacation.

“You’ve got a little,” he says gesturing at the speck of powdered sugar on Robert’s nose.

Robert wipes at his nose, but of course he doesn’t get it. It’s like some soppy rom-com moment as he leans in to rub his thumb over the spot, before pressing a kiss against the tip of Robert’s nose.

“Looked like a right druggie, you,” he jokes.

“Oi!” Robert quips back, before tickling at his sides.

“Ugh, are you guys gonna be all over each other all weekend?” Liv breaks them out of their little moment.

“You’re the one that insisted on coming with us. Should’ve known not to join a loved up newlywed couple.” Robert’s quick to retort back.

“You’ve been married for months now!”

It had taken a while for Robert to get in Liv’s good graces again, but after almost a year they were right back to sniping at each other like before. He drowns out Robert and Liv’s squabbling as they make their way over to the museum, happy to take in the sights along the way. He hears Liv groan as the queue at the entrance gets in sight. Great, waiting in the cold to see some paintings. He sends Robert a pleading look, but his husband is determined.

“We’re gonna get some culture in the both of ya,” he grins as if he hasn’t seen the seemingly endless line of people waiting to enter.

\---

The paintings were nice and all, if you were into that sorta thing and Robert had oo’ed and ah’ed at the paintings hanging on the walls. They’d gone to see the Night Watch first and Aaron couldn’t help but be impressed by it. The massively sized painting a sure crowd pleaser, if it could even get him and Liv to look at it for more than a few seconds. But in the end even Robert had gotten bored of looking at the seemingly endless displays of paintings and they’d venture outside and back into the cold.

That’s when Liv noticed the big ‘I Amsterdam’-sign and the ice skating rink across from it. Excited to get the picture every tourist seemed to get during their stay in Amsterdam she’d hurried along to it. She handed her phone to Robert, because apparently Aaron was shit at taking pictures, and started to climb onto one of the massive letters.

As Robert had taken a bunch of pictures of his sister and she started to climb back down again, Robert pulled him forward.

“I’m not taking a cringe photo like that Robert,” he says pulling a face at the other man that was still pulling at his arm.

“Oh come on Aaron, we’re here now, might as well go full tourist huh.” And the big grin on Robert’s face was enough for Aaron to give in. He handed Liv his phone as she had finally managed to get down from the big ‘I’ without falling flat on her face.

Robert wrapped his arms around his waist as they stood in front of the sign, planting a kiss on his cheek as Liv took their picture. The pose as cheesy as can be, but it still sends a warm happy flush through his body.

“You two are disgusting,” Liv says as she hands him back his phone, the smile playing on her lips negating her words.

It had gotten dark while they were at the museum and the Christmas lights around them give of a warm glow as they walk towards the ice skating rink. His sister bouncing around with a big grin on her face as she sees the rink full of people skating circles.

“Can we go now, please?”

“Let’s get some food first yeah, I’m starving.”

“Fine,” she sighs, before her stomach starts to rumble in agreement.

\---

They devour their burgers and chips quickly, while the poffertjes had been delicious it really hadn’t been a very filling lunch. He’s just drinking down the last dregs of his beer when Liv starts bouncing in her seat again.

“You’re like a 5-year old bouncing around in your seat like that, it’s like you’ve never ice skated before,” Aaron chuckles at his sisters antics.

“I haven’t!”

“What? You’ve never gone ice skating before? Not even with school?”

“No, mum never let me. Always kept me home ‘sick’ because it was too dangerous.”

“Never stopped you before,” Robert quips.

“Yeah well, you don’t get far without the money to rent skates and your mum suddenly being a helicopter parent on the days school went skating,” she says sadly.

“Well let’s get you a pair of skates then, huh.” Aaron says, determined to give his sister an amazing night.

\---

“You sure you’ve never skated before?” Aaron asks Liv as she seems to be cruising along just fine after a first few wobbles.

“Just like rollerblading innit,” she shrugs as she skates off for another lap around the rink.

“Just like rollerblading,” he hears Robert huff behind him. Unlike his sister, Robert was having far more trouble keeping upright. He clung onto the barrier the second he so much as staggered a tiny bit.

“Just get a bloody chair to hold onto Robert, don’t be daft.”

“I’m not using a stupid chair to hold onto, not even the little kids are using them,” he says gesturing at the little kids skating around without any help, before grabbing onto the barrier again tightly as he almost loses his balance again.

“Yeah, well they’re probably Dutch kids aren’t they, they’re born with skates under their feet.” He can’t stop the laugh from bursting from his lips at the look of disdain Robert sends him at that. He shakes his head and reaches for Robert’s hands.

“Come on lemme help you then.”

Slowly they manage to get Robert away from the barrier. Aaron is by no means a professional skater either, but somehow he manages to get them both a lap around the rink. After that first lap he figures they can try a round without Robert holding on to him. They get about halfway around the ice rink before Robert starts to wobble again, arms flailing around wildly before he loses his balance completely and knocks both of them down onto the ice.

The air leaves his lungs in a burst as his back connects with the cold surface and he huffs out another breath as Robert lands on top of him.

“Ouch,” he laughs.

“Sorry,” Robert mumbles as he makes no move to get back up, but instead leans in closer to Aaron. “Hi,” he whispers.

“Hi,” Aaron manages to say back before Robert leans down to press his lips against his. The world around them subsides as their lips connect. Warmth spreading through him, even though he’s literally lying on ice, as Robert’s tongue runs over his lips softly. He lets himself indulge in the kiss for a little while longer as he opens his lips and closes his eyes. Robert’s nose is cold against his skin as their lips keep moving against each other, mouths the only warm thing about this kiss.

“Oi!” They hear from above them as Liv comes to a halt in front of them. “You two are keeping everyone up.”

He slowly opens his eyes, can’t help the smile lingering on his face as Robert tries to get up from the ice. “You did that on purpose,” he says sending Robert a knowing look. Robert, who’s finally on his feet again, just shrugs, a look of fake innocence on his face as he says, “I think it’s time for hot chocolate.”

\---

“Bit naff innit? A canal tour?” he says the next morning.

“It’s the way to see Amsterdam apparently or would you rather bike around Amsterdam instead,” Robert shrugs, knowing both of them would rather sit in a warm boat than cycle around the city in the cold. Especially with the Dutch cyclists whizzing around seemingly everywhere. They’d been almost knocked off their feet multiple times and had quickly learned not to walk on the red bike lanes.

“Can we go tonight instead, I saw something about a light festival canal tour thing,” Liv pipes up, phone momentarily forgotten as she excitedly explains what it is.

“But then what are we gonna do during the rest of the day?”

“Might as well do that brewery tour,” Aaron grins cheekily.

“It’s 10 am Aaron! Anyway, Liv won’t be allowed in.”

“She will be, she just can’t drink anything,” he says pointedly looking at his sister.

Liv just holds her hands up, a look of fake innocence on her face.

“And it doesn’t have to be right now. Need to sort mum and Paddy’s pressies out still. Don’t you need to buy some presents still?”

“Alright fine. And no Aaron I’ve had everything sorted for weeks, not everyone leaves buying presents till the last minute.”

\---

A few hours later he’s a bag full of goodies from Rituals for his mum in one hand. And in the other hand a bag with a woollen hat with bicycles and the word Amsterdam embroidered in it for Paddy, some foam wooden shoes for Leo and a pair of real ones for Zak.

Liv had made them indulge in some freshly made stroopwafels that had left them with sticky fingers, but had been delicious. She swinging around her own bag of presents now, some ridiculous weed sunglasses for Gerry and some earrings for Gabby. And Robert hadn’t been able to stop himself from buying Victoria an extra present, a nice pair of earrings to match the necklace he’d gotten her.

“Time to go and drink some beer,” Aaron says after they’ve dumped all of their newly acquired stuff in their hotel room.

The tour is actually pretty interesting, he’d never really given that much thought to how his pints were made, but the enthusiastic guide manages to keep his attention all throughout the tour. He learns a bunch of new stuff. He probably won’t be able to impress anyone with it, his family happy to just drink their pints without knowing how they were made, but that’s alright.

“That was actually pretty fun,” Robert says as they leave the Heineken brewery.

“Told ya! Not enough beer though!” he chuckles.

\---

It’s a few hours later when they find themselves on a boat. Dinner had been a quick affair as they’d had to rush to make it to the canal boat in time. The boat perfectly build to fit underneath the many bridges they pass on the tour.

Robert and Liv are looking around excitedly, taking in the picturesque row houses along the canals and all the light displays along the canals. It is a beautiful sight, but after the first few houses and lights they’d passed it had all become a bit of the same, so Aaron had found his mind drifting off. Thinking about Christmas. It would be their first Christmas as husbands. A proper family Christmas with everyone coming over to the Mill. Victoria and Marlon combining forces to make Christmas dinner for the Dingle and Sugden clan.

Such a difference from last year, when Robert had been in hospital and Aaron pretending he was over him, but actually worried sick about Robert as he lay unconscious in a hospital bed.  
It ended up being the beginning of them getting back together though and Aaron couldn’t be happier to finally be able to share Christmas together again.

Before he knows it the boat is slowing down again, reversing and turning to get into its spot again. He hadn’t realised how long he’d been lost in his own mind for, but when he looks up he finds Robert staring at him with the softest look.

“What?”

“You’re beautiful you know that.”

“Shut up.”

“No really. That little frown you get when you’re thinking about something, totally lost in your own mind. The way you look at me slightly confused when you get back to the real world, nose crinkling. That twinkle you get in your eyes, when you think I’m being daft. Like right now. Just for once believe me when I say, you’re so beautiful Aaron Dingle.”

He feels his cheeks warm as he lets Robert’s words sink in, still not used to hearing those words. He believes him though. It had taken him a while to let himself believe it again, but slowly he’d learned to take those words for what they were, the truth. Robert had never stopped loving him and neither had he, he never really could.

The boat has gone quiet and when he looks away from Robert he notices that everyone has already left, Liv standing at the exit waiting impatiently.

“Let’s go.”

\---

The next morning is a flurry of packing up all of their stuff that somehow seems to have exploded all over their hotel room. Liv frantically looking for her phone charger and shouting in victory when she eventually finds it stuck between the mattress and head of the bed.

They manage to pack up everything with just a few minutes to spare before check-out and then they’re on their way. They’ve still got a few hours left in the city before they have to head to the airport, so they walk around for a while. Their first stop is Dam Square where they watch a street performer do some tricks while his crowd claps and cheers enthusiastically.

For lunch they stop at one of the cafés on Leidseplein, the terraces warm and cosy as heaters are on full blast above them. Liv talking excitedly about her plans to go ice skating in Leeds with Gabby after Christmas.

He’s happy his sister has had a nice time. They hadn’t planned on inviting her along with them, but seeing her sad look after he had told her about the trip him and Robert had planned he’d convinced Robert to let her come with them. After the disaster they had come home to after their bachelor party they hadn’t let her stay home alone again. And though she still insisted she could be left alone at the Mill, she usually didn’t mind staying over at the pub or Wishing Well when they went away. However much she tried to deny it though, she still would rather stay with her big brother and husband. They’d become a proper little family, with family dinner every Friday night and everything.

Convincing Robert had been a bit of task. He’d looked forward to a weekend just for the two of them. With Liv living at the Mill and Gabby and Gerry dropping by more often than not they didn’t get as much alone time as they would prefer. Robert loved Liv in his own way though and he’d only really delayed agreeing to her coming along to get some sexual favours out of it.

\---

They’re on the plane back home, Liv happily in the window seat this time, Robert once again sleeping on his shoulder before the plane has even taken off. He envies his ability to fall asleep so easily, his own body tired to the bone, yet sleep still won’t come.

He feels his phone buzz against his leg repeatedly and fishing it out of his pocket just as the pilot is letting them know about their imminent ascent. He opens his messages before the internet connection inevitably cuts out. It’s a bunch of pictures Liv’s send, a few of the three of them together and a bunch on just him and Robert.

The picture they took in front of the ‘I Amsterdam’-sign is there. The happy look on his own face as Robert had kissed his cheek makes him smile. A picture of Aaron holding Robert’s hands as he helps him skate around the ice rink, followed by a picture of them pressed together as they’d fallen onto the ice.

Aaron pulling a face as he’d seen what kind of monstrosity Robert had tried on in the ridiculously expensive shop down the P.C. Hooftstraat. Thankfully he had managed to  
convince Robert not to spend months’ worth of savings on the shirt. There’s a picture of Aaron trying to sneak a bite of Robert’s stroopwafel as he had already finished off his own.

A picture of Aaron winning the pint pulling competition at the Heineken brewery tour, beer glass raised high in victory. And lastly a picture of the two of them sat on the canal boat, matching grins on their faces and a persistent blush on his own as Robert had told him he was beautiful.

He nudges his little sister after he’s scrolled through all of them another time. “Thank you,” he whispers.

Liv just shrugs, a soft smile on her face as she goes back to watching the video on her phone. A video he had taken of her as she’d skated circles around them on the ice skating rink. Her ponytail swishing around behind her as she’d skated past him and Robert again and again.

A content smile lingers on his face as he rests his head against the top of Robert’s, might as well try and get a few minutes of sleep for the rest of the flight.

\---

They’re back home, the ride back home from Leeds too long in Robert’s cramped Porsche and his legs crick loudly as he finally gets out of the car. He leaves Robert and Liv to gather their bags in favour of opening the front door for them.

“Look,” Robert says as he’s about to unlock the front door, pointing up. Pointing up at the strand of mistletoe hanging at the top of the door.

“Really Robert, you planted mistletoe before we left?”

“Maybe…” Robert says, a grin spreading wide on his face, eyes twinkling.

He rolls his eyes, but pulls his husband close nonetheless, can never resist him when he’s looking at Aaron like that. He presses a slow lingering kiss onto Robert’s waiting lips, feels fingers twist into his hair as Robert presses further into him, making the most of the kiss.

“Welcome home Mr. Sugden,” Robert says breaking away from the kiss, before pressing another kiss against his lips.

“Welcome home Mr. Dingle,” he grins back.

 

(“Welcome home Miss Flaherty,” Liv mocks from behind them.)

**Author's Note:**

> As always comments and kudos make my writers heart soar and you can find me over on tumblr at [sleepysuggles](http://www.sleepysuggles.tumblr.com)


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